Adjustable sleeve



Nov. 10, 1942.

F. c. BEYE ADJUSTABLE SLEEVE Filed Aug. 14, 1940 INVENTOR- FORREST C. BEYE Patented Nov. 10, 1942' ADJUSTABLE SLEEVE Forrest 0. Beye, St. Louis, Mo, assignor to Rice- Stix Dry Goods Company, St. Louis, Mo., a corporation of Missouri Application August 14,1940, Serial No. 352,484 I 1 Claim.

This invention relates to improvements in sleeves for garments. More particularly, the invention relates to garment sleeves that are adjustable in length.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a garment sleeveof simple and inexpensive construction which may readily be lengthened or shortened without sewing or cutting. Such a sleeve is desirable on childrens garments especially of the coat type to provide for lengthening the sleeve to keep pace with the childs growth. This is especially useful during the childs growing years as the child almost invariably outgrows the garment before it is worn out. While a coat type garment will fit in all other respects, the first sign of a child outgrowing' a garment appears in the sleeves which seem suddenly to have become too short. By the use of this invention, a simple twist of the cuff and the cuff is rebuttoned several inches longer. The sleeves grow with the child. Such expedients have been attempted at numerous times in the past, but have met with failure because the appearance of the sleeve has always caused the garment to look like a hand me down or an altered garment. Growing children are, of course, sensitive to such appearance and would not wear such garments. These earlier cuifs were complex or bunchy or had ears protruding from the body of the sleeve when in either one position or the other. They did not provide means for a barrel cuff in both positions. Some of them required the ripping of a seam or the changing of a button which, aside from the trouble necessary to make the change, always left the impression with the child that he was Wearing an altered garment, This invention obviates the above objections and even makes it possible for several children of different ages to wear the same garment.

In the drawing and accompanying description, a preferred form of the invention is shown and described, but it is to be understood that the drawing and accompanying description do not limit the invention, and that it will be defined by the appended claim.

In the drawing, Fig. l is a view of the sleeve when it is in the lengthened position.

Fig. 2 is a view of the sleeve as it appears when it is in the shortened position.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the sleeve showing the arrangement of buttons on the cuff.

Referring to the drawing in detail, a sleeve for a garment is denoted by the numeral [6. The left sleeve is shown in the drawing. A cuff portion of the sleeve is denoted by the numeral 12. G5

The cuff portion I 2 of the sleeve I8 is provided with two buttons l4 and I6, or other fasteners effective for the same purpose. A buttonhole l8 or means to cooperate with the type of fastener used is provided. The buttons or equivalent fasteners are positioned on opposite sides of the material of the cuff. These buttons are offset so that their circumferences will not overlap and form a thick place in the cuff. The cuff portion i2 is cut to form a vent I 3 with edges l5 and I! oblique to the fold or seam 20. When the cuff is extended to its full length the free ends or points l5 overlap each other but lie flat to form a barrel cuff. When a short sleeve is desired, the cuff is folded back along the folding line 20 and secured by button [4 engaging buttonhole l8. When the longer sleeve is needed, the cuff is extended by unfolding it and securing the free ends of the cuff by fastening button Iii into buttonhole If! as shown in Fig. 1. In both positions of use, the free ends of the cuff overlap and make a compact and smooth arrangement of sleeve and cuff. The button shown by dotted lines on the drawing illustrates the particular button not in use. .Thus, when the cuff is in the shortened position, as shown in Fig. 2, the button I6 is hidden and does not alter the appearance of the garment. It is ready for immediate use, however. When the sleeve is lengthened, button M is hidden and does not alter the appearance of the garment.

It can be seen that when the cuff is in the shortened position, its outer circumference is greater than when in the lengthened position. The buttons are positioned on the cuff so that the cuff will have the proper size wrist opening in both positions and so that the cult wil1 lie smooth and not cause wrinkles in the sleeve portion against the wrist, when in the shortened position.

Others have provided cuffs which will provide an adjustable sleeve length, but they do not show how to provide a cuff in the shortened position without having ears formed by the free ends which protrude from the cuff. In the drawing and. description, the cuff portion has been treated as a separate and distinct part of the cuff. It is intended, however, that a continuous sleeve and culf portion could be furnished in the same manner if desired.

Thus, by the use of this invention, an adjustable length sleeve which is simple and compact and yet which may be styled to meet the approval of the wearer, may be provided.

What I claim is:

An adjustable garment sleeve comprising a sleeve portion and a cufl portion having free ends, the cuff portion being united along the inner edge thereof with the sleeve portion to provide in extended position a lengthened sleeve and also being foldable over the sleeve portion about said united edge to provide a shortened sleeve, the opposed ends of the cuff portion being in substantially abutting relation at said united edge and diverging outwardly from said united edge and overlapping in similar triangular areas beyond said united edge in both the extended and folded positions of the cuff, and fastening means for retaining said ends in contacting overlapping position in the generaI curvature of the body portion of the cuff in both the extended and folded positions thereof comprising a fastening component on each side of one of said ends and a single component on the other end for selective engagement with the respective first components in the two positions of the cuff.

FORREST C. BEYE. 

